Hugh Jackman is P.T. Barnum in first trailer for The Greatest Showman

With the immense success of La La Land, Hollywood appears primed to revel in the renewed popularity of the musical, and one can look no further than with The Greatest Showman. The long-gestating biopic-turned-musical has released its debut trailer and it comes stacked with an avalanche of talent and a likely aim for the award season. The film is based on the life of P.T. Barnum, who orchestrated one of the first and most renowned travelling circuses. Led by Hugh Jackman as Barnum, the film’s cast also includes the likes of Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

The film’s trailer notably centres on Barnum’s rags-to-riches tale, detailing his poverty-stricken days to the growth and ultimate success of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus enterprise he created. Emitting a vibrancy and sense of razzle dazzle that correlates beautifully with the story at hand, the trailer effectually conveys a rosy tone and the promise of an ideal Christmas time cinema experience for families of all ages.

For Jackman, he has labelled the film a passion project of his since the film’s initial conception as far back as 2009. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated how he envisioned the spectacle of Barnum’s world.

“Everyone was saying there hasn’t been an original musical in 23 years, so the prevailing thought in Hollywood was, unless you have a brand people know, it’s not a done thing. So it just took a long time. I have an almost-12-year-old daughter, I wanted [the movie] to be as exciting for her as Katy Perry’s new song.”

The film has been helmed by first time director Michael Gracey, from a script by Michael Arndt, Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. Although, the most prominent names involved just may be lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who recently received an Oscar after penning La La Land’s “City of Stars”. Here is the film’s offical synopsis:

“The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerising spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. “The Greatest Showman” is directed by exciting new filmmaker, Michael Gracey, with songs by Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) and starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Zac Efron and Rebecca Ferguson.

Check out The Greatest Showman trailer below. The film opens in Australian cinemas on December 26th.